Computer generated aircraft displays have become highly sophisticated and are used to provide flight crews with real-time visual representations of flight management, navigation, and control information. As a result, such displays have become effective visual tools for controlling aircraft, reducing pilot workload, increasing situational awareness, and improving overall flight safety.
As one example, a traffic display presents the operator with the relative positions of other aircraft in the vicinity of the aircraft during flight. The positions of the traffic relative to the aircraft may be determined based on Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) messages received by the aircraft. Generally, ADS-B messages are broadcast by aircraft to other aircraft and air traffic control to enable the recipient of the message to determine the position of the broadcasting aircraft. As a result of this arrangement, the traffic display may be dependent on continuously receiving accurate ADS-B messages from other aircraft. However, for various reasons, such ADS-B messages may not be received, thereby potentially impacting the accuracy of the traffic display.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that provide improved traffic monitoring and display during flight. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.